From Teacher to Yoga Studio Owner Two years ago, while at a retreat at Feathered Pipe Ranch with Cora Wen, I got an intriguing phone call. I had been teaching yoga for a couple of years at local gyms and really liked it. I had a regular following. I was consistent and non-flakey so I started to get the time slots that I wanted (more precious than gold; if you

From Teacher to Yoga Studio Owner

I had been teaching yoga for a couple of years at local gyms and really liked it. I had a regular following. I was consistent and non-flakey so I started to get the time slots that I wanted (more precious than gold; if you have taught at gyms, you know what I mean!). In addition to my five to seven classes a week at the gym, I finally got offered a spot to teach at my favorite local studio! And I was working a day job. Things were rolling right along.

And there I was, plugging away, when I decided to take a week for myself. Granted, Feathered Pipe is in my back yard and I had to get a scholarship to be able to go, but that week resulted in two life-changing events.

First, I met Cora. When I had decided to do a week at the ranch, I picked up a brochure at looked at all of these “famous” teachers and the only one who actually looked happy and smiling was Cora. It was a good decision, even if it was a random one. That week I met my teacher—a teacher who taught me an entirely different way of practicing, of looking at yoga, of looking at life, and of possibilities. It was love at first sight or practice as it were. Cora would explain it differently. She saw me as the quiet, standoffish girl who set up under the stairs and just took it all in. She made my head spin. She still does in a totally challenging and inspiring way.

And, it is funny that I got the phone call right after I had made the decision that Cora was the one. Back-to-back life-changing events.

Second, I got the call. The call that put my life and my teaching on an entirely different trajectory. It was a call from a yoga teacher in town who had a little yoga studio. She told me she was leaving to teach retreats in Mexico. Did I want to come in and chat and maybe take over?

Um, f*&# yes!

The road was quite rocky to begin with. The yoga studio was a sublease from a Pilates studio. I taught there for a bit and then the lease fell through, so I adapted. Then there was the chance to sublease and share the space for more than I was comfortable paying. I’m a pretty conservative person so it was surprising that I went for it.

I continued that way for over a year—a month-to-month sublease that I thought I might lose at any moment. In December I signed an actual lease.

Peaceful Paschimottanasana

Patience Builds a Yoga Studio

I have put my heart and soul into my little yoga studio and into my teaching. I have been frugal, spending only what I need which means the studio has no bells and whistles. I slowly built up a stockpile of props. I slowly built up a clientele by being consistent and affordable.

The affordable part has caused me to take some heat. My yoga studio is the home of $5 yoga. The only person who thought I could pull it off was my wonderful, supportive husband. I got a lot of emails from other teachers and studio owners calling me out for not being honest about making it work, that I must have some help. Yes. Of course I had help. We all have help. Instead of a small business loan, my husband supported me while I saw what I could make of it.

Two years later I am a yoga teacher and yoga studio owner. I quit my day job and my gym gigs and after a lot of hard work am actually making a living teaching not just yoga, but $5 yoga.

I am remarkably happy and blessed. I am exhausted by the end of the week. I love my yoga studio and my students. And I’m celebrating by taking next week off.

Opening a Yoga Studio: An Adventure For the first year of my little studio, things were totally up in the air. I sublet and it was month to month. I never had any idea what the next month would hold. And while it wasn’t ideal, it was a start. Of course having a yoga studio was on that dream list—10 or 20 years down the road. After time to save

Opening a Yoga Studio: An Adventure

Props Build a Solid Foundation

For the first year of my little studio, things were totally up in the air. I sublet and it was month to month. I never had any idea what the next month would hold. And while it wasn’t ideal, it was a start.

Of course having a yoga studio was on that dream list—10 or 20 years down the road. After time to save money and search for that perfect space, I never dreamed that it would happen so soon.

So when it did happen, I took stock of the situation and decided to go for it. If I went all out and worked hard, I hoped to develop the clientele to take with me if the lease fell through.

Month by month I waited for it all to fall apart.

And now it is a new year that I will affectionately call “The Year Of The Lease.” I have 12 months of solid footing. This is my Tadasana. My Mountain. A million other things may be uncertain, but now I have the stability that makes other things less scary.

A lease paves the way for so much possibility—guest teachers, workshops, special events—things that weren’t really feasible previously. I find my mind spinning with ideas.

The very first thing put in motion was to stock up on props. I mainly teach a flow style of yoga, yet my most popular class is gentle yoga. It isn’t really yin. It isn’t really Restorative. It is just slow and yummy and we very seldom make it to Down Dog or Tadasana.

For a year I only had 10 of everything: blocks, blankets, bolsters and straps. While my class didn’t rely heavily upon them, I always had to change the game plan when more than10 people showed up. Not a big deal, but Savasana can be a little sweeter with a blanket!

It is especially nice to have one of everything for everyone. And it is nice to know that at any given month I won’t have to haul all of it out of the studio.

Is it possible to be propped up and on solid ground at the same time? I think so. I now have a really solid foundation and the props are just helping me reach a little higher.

Each Barbara will share a bit of her journey opening and maintaining a yoga studio. Please feel free to add your questions and comments!